Page 35 of Unwritten Rules
“Me?” I rasp out, caught off guard by her presence. “I started with the club three weeks ago as a physio.”
Hazel eyes take in every inch of me, sizing me up. I fight the urge to fold under her intense stare, and instead square my shoulders in the hope it’ll make me feel less small. The woman tightens her grip on the suitcase trailing behind her, pom poms still tucked beneath her arm. Even in black trackies and a tight-fitting black T-shirt, she demands attention from anyone walking by. And I’m helpless to look away.
She surprises me by extending her hand, red fingernails expectant. “I’m Raya. You are?”
I swallow hard and take her hand, accepting the handshake. “Tatum.”
Raya releases my hand and tilts her head. “Tatum… that’s a cool name.”
A rush of relief rolls through me, easing the tension building in my shoulders. It’s hard to read this girl, given her stiff posture and standoffish vibes, but I’m getting the sense that she doesn’t despise me right off the bat, so I must be doing something right.
“Thanks,” I respond, willing the unease to seep from my voice. “It’s nice to meet you. I haven’t met any of the cheerleaders yet.”
“Well, I think it’s safe to say I’m the best one you’ll meet.”
I chuckle, unable to help myself. She had unknowingly answered my earlier fears. “Is there a reason for that?”
Raya raises a perfectly shaped brow. “You seriously don’t know?”
A frown creases my forehead. “Know what…?”
She sighs and steps forward, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. Her walking forces me to keep in step, not wanting to fall behind. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask what she’s doing, but I swallow the question.Keep your mouth shut and follow along. Listen now, ask questions later.
“Since you’re new here, I feel it’s my job to fill you in on everything that happens behind the scenes with the girls and guys. And let’s just say it’s a long fucking story.”
“How long of a story are we talking here?”
Raya clicks her tongue. “Far too long to give you all of the details, but I can do my best.”
We reach the entrance to the stadium, and Raya stops, her body facing mine. Her arm slips from my shoulders and she nods her head to where the cheerleaders walk into a room on our left.
“I wouldn’t normally offer a warning like this to someone if I don’t trust them,” Raya starts, hazel eyes holding my attention. “But I like you for some reason, Tatum.”
“Thanks?” I offer, not knowing what else to say to that. “I think.”
“Take it as a compliment,” Raya says, waving her hand in the air. “Anyway, just be careful with who knows your business, because once it catches wind, everyone will know and it won’t be pretty.”
Ice floods my veins. “What does that mean?”
“It means that if you hook up with one of the guys on the team, word will likely get around before the end of the day, and once it gets back to the girls, you will wish you had stayed away.”
“W-what?” I stammer, heart rate spiking. “I don’t understand.”
Raya exhales a sharp breath and rests her free hand on my shoulder. “It means that those girls think they own every guy on the team because at one point or another, they’ve hooked up with one or more on numerous occasions. So if they think a newbie like you is trying to sniff around the guys, it won’t be pretty. I’m telling you this because you seem nice and I don’t want you to get caught up in their shit. Every single one of them are possessive when they have no right to be. Zoe is the worst of them all. So, just steer clear of them, okay?”
I blink at the girl I just met not even five minutes ago. Her warning is like a siren in the back of my mind, hues of red flashing before my eyes, mixing with her tanned skin. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her I’ve already overstepped that line, but the words die on my tongue.
No one will ever know about my one-night stand with Sinnett, and this is proof of why I never want another soul to learn about it.
I had no idea the cheerleading squad would be so possessive of the players. Sure, it makes sense some of them would get together on occasion because good-looking people tend to gravitate towards each other. But this type of warning tells me it runs deeper than a normal attraction between some of the cheerleaders and players. A connection that could cause tension if lines were crossed, and that’s not something I want to slap onto my already full plate.
“Okay,” I squeeze out, throat tight. “I’ll steer clear.”
A tight-lipped smile graces Raya’s pouty lips. “It might sound crazy, Tatum, but I promise it’ll save you a lot of heartache down the track.” She throws her thumb over her shoulder at the women’s voices drifting out of the room beside us. “These girls are intense and borderline crazy. And don’t even get me started on the whole Zoe and Sin situation.”
“Sinnett?” I choke out, eyes wide. The world stops spinning as my heart slams against my ribcage, knocking the air from my lungs. Ice splinters across my body. “Does he have a girlfriend?”
“Yes and no,” Raya responds with a shrug. “It’s a complicated situation, one that us girls don’t know all the details to. But from what I do know, it’s messy and not something you want to get caught up in.”
